Shloka 2

काली-परिचयः / Himagiri Presents Kālī (Pārvatī) to Śiva

Devanagari script

स गत्वा त्रिजगन्नाथं प्रणम्य ध्यानतत्परम् । अर्थयामास तनयां कालीं तस्मै हृदाद्भुताम्

Transliteration

sa gatvā trijagannāthaṃ praṇamya dhyānatatparam | arthayāmāsa tanayāṃ kālīṃ tasmai hṛdādbhutām

Translation

അവൻ ത്രിജഗന്നാഥന്റെ അടുക്കൽ ചെന്നു, ധ്യാനത്തിൽ ലീനനായ പ്രഭുവിനെ നമസ്കരിച്ചു, ഹൃദയത്തിന് അത്ഭുതമായി പ്രിയമായ പുത്രി—കാളി—യെ അപേക്ഷിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), ‘having gone’

• tri-jagat-nātham: the Lord of the three worlds
• tri-jagat-nātham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (determinative: ‘of the three worlds’ + ‘lord’), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• praṇamya: having bowed
• praṇamya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nam (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), ‘having bowed’

• dhyāna-tatparam: intent on meditation
• dhyāna-tatparam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक) + tatpara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (locative sense: ‘in meditation’ + ‘devoted’), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying trijagannātham

• arthayāmāsa: requested/begged
• arthayāmāsa: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arthaya (नामधातु from artha)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्/Perfect), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• tanayām: the daughter
• tanayām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kālīm: Kālī
• kālīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kālī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to tanayām

• tasmai: to him
• tasmai: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• hṛdā: with (his) heart
• hṛdā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• adbhutām: wonderful
• adbhutām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adbhuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying tanayām/kālīm

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Kali

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

The verse highlights the Shaiva ideal that sincere surrender (praṇāma) and focused reverence toward the meditative Lord (dhyāna-tatpara Śiva) becomes the doorway for divine grace, through which even life-transforming blessings—like the advent of the Devī—are bestowed.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Śiva is approached here as Trijagannātha, the personal (saguṇa) Lord who hears prayers and grants boons, even while established in yogic meditation—mirroring how devotees worship the Śiva-liṅga as the accessible form of the transcendent Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse suggests a simple Shaiva sādhanā: approach Śiva with humility (prostration), then pray with a steady mind; devotees may support this with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and brief dhyāna on Śiva as the meditative Lord.